FindNear Listed by cipherforce Ransomware Group

On February 23, 2026, location-based technology company FindNear was listed on the leak site of the cipherforce ransomware group after its internal files were allegedly exfiltrated during a ransomware attack. The breach affects anyone whose personal information was stored in those files, including customers who used the platform to find nearby stores, restaurants, hotels and other services.

What's Publicly Reported from Reporting

Public reporting indicates that FindNear suffered a ransomware intrusion in which attackers gained access to internal systems and removed sensitive company files. The cipherforce group published proof of the exfiltration on its dark-web leak site, as documented by ransomware tracking service ransomware.live. No exact victim count has been released, and the precise volume or content of the stolen data remains unclear. Available reporting describes the exposed material as internal files rather than a structured database of customer records, though such files frequently contain names, contact details, location history, or business-partner information in a company of this type.

Why This Matters for You and Your Family

When a service you rely on for everyday tasks like finding local amenities is breached, your personal details can end up in the hands of criminals. Even if you never created an account, your address, phone number, or movement patterns may have been collected through business transactions or partner databases. Once that information leaves the company’s control, it can be sold, combined with other leaks, and used to target you with phishing, identity theft, or physical threats. For families this risk extends to children whose names or school-related location data sometimes appear in household or parent-linked records.

The Doxxing and Identity-Chain Implications

Stolen internal files often contain scattered pieces of information that attackers can link together. An email here, a phone number there, and a geolocation log can quickly form a chain that reveals your full identity, home address, and online handles. These chains allow criminals to move from one account to another, turning a single breach into repeated harassment or account takeovers. Credential leaks like this one frequently cascade into gaming platforms, where children’s accounts become entry points for further doxxing because the same password or recovery email is reused across services.

Cipherforce’s Publicly Known Track Record

Public reporting attributes the attack to the cipherforce ransomware group. The group emerged in late 2024 and has since claimed responsibility for intrusions against mid-sized technology and service companies. Notable prior victims include other location and customer-facing platforms, though exact details remain limited in open sources. Their typical playbook involves initial access through phishing or exploited remote desktop services, followed by data exfiltration, encryption of systems, and extortion demands backed by the threat of gradual file leaks on their onion site if payment is not received.

What to do

• Run a DoxxScan to map every link between your emails, phone numbers, handles, and real-world identity so you can see exactly what this claimed breach connects to.
• Rotate any password you used on FindNear or similar location services and enable 2FA through an authenticator app rather than SMS.
• Enable continuous DoxxScan monitoring across 13.1B+ breach records and 100+ platforms so the next leak exposing you is caught in hours instead of months.
• Cover the household with DoxxScan family protection that includes dependents and your children’s gaming accounts, which often chain back to the same addresses and recovery details.
• Let remediation specialists handle takedown requests for any exposed personal records that surface on data broker sites or underground forums.

The FindNear incident shows how quickly location and customer data can fuel larger identity attacks that reach every member of a household. Taking concrete steps now limits the damage from this claimed breach and prepares you for the next one. DoxxScan by GalaxyWarden delivers continuous monitoring across 13.1 billion+ breach records and more than 100 platforms, AI-powered identity-chain mapping, hands-on remediation by specialists, and full family coverage that explicitly protects children’s gaming accounts from cascading takeovers.